Amex Membership Rewards Devalues Emirates Skywards Transfer Ratio

The fall of this program from where it used to be in 2019 is truly staggering. Like other programs have devalued sure but this is wild to see

I used to frequently transfer Amex to points to EK a while back, but since EK increased the pricing and steeply increased the taxes/fees, I can't see how EK redemptions can be attractive to anyone... Overpaying for tacky, dated product (if you're lucky) or being stuck in a middle seat in a 2-3-2 J configuration (if you're unlucky)...

Is there still such demand that they need to make this even less attractive...?

@Harold, note. In 2019 I redeemed 178,500 miles for HKG-DXB-ORD in F. Fees were only $125 because back then YQ was not allowed out of HKG. That has changed. Earlier this year I redeemed 178,500 ORD-DXB-HKG plus $1,200 surcharge. (Can't say how much $ difference from 2019 but I think its similar.) Maybe J or Y redemptions have changed but F has not. Of course partner redemptions are different, AS pre 2019, AC has gotten insane, JL too. Now the status for F and these exchange rates are a deal breaker. Maybe a loophole will be QF although their pricing is ridiculous too. My points is F has stayed the same in the EK program, too expensive in 2019 but propably normal for F half way around the world these days.

At some point, the partnership with Emirates isn't worth it. Better to drop the program than to devalue it. It's a terrible program anyway.

I wouldn't be surprised if all banks follow.

points and miles are slowly becoming a thing of the past, in 10 years all this will be long gone

I flew ek first a couple of times before covid. It is nice but not sure if it is worth the cost given what we can get alternatively. I may fly the new first class at some point but I am still not sure. It is just too much hassle for the hype. I do give credit to ek for creating such a hype and now making it difficult or more expensive, they certainly make more money now. But I am certain there will be people who are point rich like bloggers or people who never experienced the ek first class and unload most of their cc sub for one ek first class. It is all relative. For me now I want to fly JL new first or want ANA quickly change the 787 seats

Well, the strategy may be simple, to move people over to their Barclays card. With it you get the ability to book F and no need to transfer. I recently got one which also came with a year of status, for what it's worth. The reality is that I like booking F awards in EK and figured these changes would keep coming in such a manner that more seats will be available as a result. So far that seems to be the case, although might have more to do with the ME stuff going on.

I'm inclined to agree. Transfer partners used to be the outsized value of transferrable currencies. It's a slow slide, but they're all heading in the same direction of minimal value.

Related, got my Fidelity 2% Visa. Unlike "loyalty programs", brokerage investments never let you down, over the long run.

People said the same thing 10 years ago, FWIW.

I don't think this is an Emirates-driven change. Travel-Dealz reports that Amex is cutting transfer rates to various programmes with effect from the beginning of August for its German cardholders. The EK rate for them is going to 2:1.

Excellent news. Hopefully this will mean there are fewer fat Americans talking in nasal tones about hop on hop off buses and their love of genocide against Palestine onboard Emirates.

There's no "genocide". There's also no such thing as "Palestine".

One way ticket to The Hague for you, NG. Child murdering Epstein loving sycophant.

pity